Girl Guides and Girl Scouts around the world reach out to their Haitian sisters
19 January 2010
The recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti has left many thousands of people dead and millions injured and homeless and the country continues to struggle with the ongoing after affects. News from the Association Nationale des Guides d’Haïti, although sparse, is so far positive, with International Commissioner Leticia Cadet confirming that she and the Guides she is in contact with are safe and “trying to help as much as we can.”
Already outpourings of sympathy and support have come in from the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting Movement from around the world. Neighbouring Association, Asociación de Guías Scouts Dominicanas, has set up a working group to mobilize its members and their communities and to co-ordinate their aid effort.
A Guide troop in the UK devoted their Guide night to learning and thinking about Haiti and have committed to raising money to send to the stricken country. Les Scouts et Guides de France has established a fund to raise money for food, infrastructure and other essential requirements.
There are several ways Member Organizations, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts can continue to show support and compassion for their sister Guides in Haiti and the Haitian people generally.
- Donate your time, money and other requested resources to the Red Cross as our partner organization in the Alliance of Youth CEOs and to other disaster relief agencies. A list is provided below.
- Contribute to the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) Haiti Solidarity Fund or the Les Scouts et Guides de France Haiti Fund
- Contribute to this year’s World Thinking Day Fund, where WAGGGS is focusing on five specific countries; Haiti, Georgia, Maldives, Sudan and Zimbabwe. The WTD Fund supports the work of WAGGGS globally, it is not exclusively dedicated to Haiti or disaster relief. However, part of the funding raised will go to Haiti in 2010 and specific projects agreed upon by Haiti and WAGGGS. You can find details on the World Thinking Day website.
- Write your messages of support in the comments section below so that Haitian Girl Guides can receive your well wishes
Moments like these demonstrate the strong values and international sisterhood that make Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting such a unique and important Movement, ready and willing to take action to make the world a better place. Please continue, in the weeks and even years ahead to do all you can to help the Girl Guides, their families and communities in Haiti.
Disaster relief funds
Red Cross
The ICRC plans to focus on providing medical aid for survivors of the earthquake and support for efforts to recover and identify the dead. It will also support Red Cross efforts to restore contacts between family members separated because of the earthquake and its aftermath. Finally, it plans to assess the needs of the prisons where it has been regularly visiting detainees. Make a donation
WOSM and Les Scouts et Guides de France
Contribute to the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) Haiti Solidarity Fund or the Les Scouts et Guides de France Haiti Fund
Your comments
Marie - 27 January 2010 - 10.29PM (GMT)
Tonight our Sparks begin their Thinking Day Activities by making a water bottle piggy bank. They will be earning money by doing household chores. We are very honoured to be able to help in some small way with "ending extreme hunger and poverty". Yours in Guiding, Marie 30th Hamilton Sparks
michael n cox - 27 January 2010 - 10.57AM (GMT)
This is a tradjic time our history. We have witnessed the devastation of a country an its people. At the same time we have withnessed the resiiency and the resolve of the Haitian people. We must assist them in every way possible and we as a people must learn from them because as time passes we will experience similiar situations which will require our resolve and help from other. Be strong Haiti, we are with you.
Jimmie Ann Malone - 26 January 2010 - 6.55PM (GMT)
Thank you for this comment location. The Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council’s day long Thinking Day Event will be held at one of our council camps on Feb. 26. To meet one of the challenges for the event, we have a fund raising project of a canteen where attendees will have a limited time to purchase food and cold drinks. The girls on the planning board are from different service units in Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Houston, Texas. After the disaster in Haiti, these girls started a Pennies for Haiti and will add this to our Doll Ceremony Closing at the Thinking Day Event. Each girl who attends the event will bring 2 cans of food for the Greater Angelina County Food Bank. We have pledged our donation to WAGGGS with the request that the funds be donated to the food grants to Haiti. If this site is open after Feb. 27th, we will tell you the total amount that our event sent to WAGGGS. Jimmie "Silver Fox" Malone
Cheryl English - 25 January 2010 - 3.28PM (GMT)
Thank you for putting this information on your website.
This is exactly what I have been searching for.
We were to choose our country for Thinking Day at our next meeting, and I needed this info to share with the girls. Although, I feel certain they would have chosen Haiti above every other country. Now they can choose where the funds will go. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Haitian people and our Sister Guides. Again, thank you.
Yours in Scouting,
Cheryl English, Leader
Brownie Troop 730 Jemison, Al.
Ora Gere-Swords - 23 January 2010 - 8.31PM (GMT)
I am always touched by what the girls choose to do to support others. We will be supporting this World Thinking Day by research and supporting Haiti.
Theresa Heropoulos - 22 January 2010 - 11.02PM (GMT)
I am a Girl Scout leader of 7 10-year old girls. We all were heart broken when we heard and saw the devistation in Haiti. Knowing that about half the population in Haiti is children really tugged at our Heart Strings. In an effort to help and in light of the theme for World Thinking day we are going to donate half of the money our troop earns from selling cookies to Partners In Health (PIH). This is a non-profit organization out of Boston who offers free health care to some of the poorest regions in the world including Haiti.
God bless,
Troop 20107
Susan Thomas, Leader - 21 January 2010 - 1.37PM (GMT)
GS Daisy Troop 681 Somerset, NJ
We had a meeting last night and we touched on the topic of Thinking Day. I was totally taken back when 9 little girls unanimously voted to research Haiti for our Thinking Day Project. They may not truly understand the situation but they do show compassion for others.
Mildred Ramos - 19 January 2010 - 11.42PM (GMT)
Thank you for being proactive and to promote awareness to our GS community. Countries with real needs like in Haiti are a great example to show our kids that we all can make a difference and be commited. Hopefully our troop will be participating for the Thinking Day activities.
Mil Ramos, leader
GS Brownies troop 130 San Juan, PR
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